Chapter 4
Curtains drawn in his one-bedroom apartment, he logged onto his preferred websites.
A little something to enjoy after a long day’s work.
The stark living space needed a woman’s touch, and he planned to find the one woman who’d make those changes—Jennie Nielson.
She’d eluded him for years, but he’d find her.
Until then, he’d enjoy his favorite pastime.
Image after image flashed across his computer screen. Each young girl as pretty as the next. He jolted to a stop from scanning the photos.
Zoey?
He leaned forward and studied the photo. He’d never mistake those blue eyes. He smiled at his discovery. Zoey had grown into a beautiful young lady. Just like her momma.
“Well, well, what do you know. Not as smart as you think, are you, Jennie? I knew you couldn’t hide forever.” His multiyear search had ended, thanks to his hobby. He’d found a link to his woman.
After her release from the hospital, she’d vanished. He’d had eyes on her until he didn’t. The nurse had helped Jennie into a white sedan, and then poof, she’d disappeared along with Zoey. His jaw clenched. The ungrateful wench. This time he’d make sure she understood who she belonged to.
He worked on tracing the origin of the picture and hit wall after wall. Unsavory words spewed from his mouth. He had the skill set, but these jerks had covered their tracks. He would find Jennie and make her life miserable for running from him.
Three hours later, he sat back, a grin spread across his face. “Gotcha.”
Plans took shape in his head. He’d torment her until fear got the best of her. Then he’d make his move and take back what was his.
He envisioned the terror on Jennie’s pretty face when she realized he’d come for her. He laughed and grabbed his keys. “No one else can have you, Jennie. You’re mine.”
***
Friday 1:00 p.m.
Cup of coffee in hand, David slouched in a conference room office chair, reminding himself why he’d joined the ICAC task force.
The grim reality of the work tore at his heart most days.
That’s why he and Brandon had decorated the two-person cubicle at the Landon County Sheriff’s Department office with stupid comic strips and ridiculous signs to combat the weight of the job.
Some days he wished he could scrub out his brain and erase all the horrors he’d witnessed.
But saving children from predators gave him purpose.
And relieved a smidge of guilt from his fiancée’s death.
He closed his eyes and inhaled the rising steam, allowing the bold aroma to penetrate his sleep-deprived brain. An IV infusion of caffeine might give him the jolt he needed, but he doubted it.
Wednesday night, while David and Brandon had dealt with the suspect, the lab techs had recovered evidence from the search warrant.
The physical items twisted his stomach in knots, but the cyber data made him want to vomit.
A link to a website on Jimmy Roberts’s computer screamed child predator and caught the attention of their resident tech guru Megan.
Yesterday David had signed over the evidence into her capable hands.
He prayed it led them to more arrests and shut down the scumbags’ operation.
After dropping Zoey’s cell phone off at the station at eight o’clock last night, he’d headed home.
Sleep had eluded him during the brief couple hours he laid in bed.
His mind lingered on the creep who’d attempted to lure in the sweet girl he’d met at the elementary school.
The thought of her not calling or deciding to continue the conversation with the man added to his soured stomach.
When a call came at midnight requesting a team meeting, he’d stumbled out of bed and dragged himself to the office. The one a.m. start time had his head pounding.
Twelve hours later, papers and laptops covered the conference table. The Internet Crimes Against Children task force had worked non-stop, and fatigue had taken its toll.
Rick leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes twenty minutes ago. His soft snores filled the room.
David’s gaze landed on Sandy, who sat opposite him. Her head lay in the crook of her elbow on top of her closed laptop. Her hair stuck out in multiple directions from her usual smooth ponytail.
The team was early in the investigation and already running on fumes.
Megan’s voice emanated from the speaker. “Dude. You still there?”
He shook his head, dislodging the preverbal cobwebs. “Yeah. Just barely.”
“Well, wake up. Those strange bits of data—I connected them.”
“What?” David leaned his chest across the table and brought himself as close as possible to the phone speaker.
Brandon ambled in and ran his hand over his head.
David jerked his head toward the phone and mouthed Megan. His partner nodded and fell into a seat beside him.
“You heard me, genius.”
“Megs, I’m exhausted. Spell it out for me.” He blinked. He needed more caffeine.
“Your Roberts is tied to the website of the ick and famous. He’s not the owner but a big contributor.”
“How’s Zoey’s text connected?”
“I matched the picture from her phone to a picture on the website. Not sure who’s who in the creep yearbook, but they tie together somehow. I’m guessing Jimmy uploaded her picture for unsavory reasons.”
He clenched his fist. “That’s just great. Zoey’s picture is out there for any child predator to see.”
“Sorry, David.” Empathy oozed through the line.
Brandon shifted in his seat. “Can you remove the photo?”
“Not a good idea.”
David straightened and smacked his hand on the tabletop. “Why not?”
Rick and Sandy startled awake and stared at him.
A heavy sigh over the phone met his ears. “Because we’d tip them off, and they’d shut it down and move on.”
“Oh yeah, there is that.” David rubbed his gritty eyes. “I just don’t like Zoey’s picture out there for every disgusting excuse for a human to ogle.”
“Then get back to work, find the bad guys, and arrest them.” Megan’s matter-of-fact tone would have brought a smile to David’s face if frustration hadn’t taken over.
“We’re trying, Megs. Thanks for the help. Let us know if you find anything else.”
“Will do.” A click, then silence lingered in the room.
Sandy unwrapped the scrunchy from her hair and smoothed out her locks.
She gathered the strands and redid her ponytail.
“All right, boys. Let’s get busy. Brandon—any more coffee out there?
Rick—check out the webpage and see if you can turn up anything new.
David—you and I will hunt down known associates of Jimmy Roberts. ”
David raised an eyebrow, glanced at Brandon, then back at Sandy.
She tilted her head and pinched her lips together.
“Why did I get coffee duty?” Brandon huffed.
She rolled her eyes in dramatic fashion. “Because you’re the only one who can make it drinkable. Duh.”
“True.” Brandon chuckled. “I’m on it.”
David locked his gaze on her. “And when did you become queen?”
“Since you’re too tired to think straight.” Sandy’s tone softened. The woman wasn’t wrong. Brain function was at a premium right now.
The ICAC team dug in and searched the internet and contacted informants for the next couple of hours.
“I’m getting nowhere.” David stood and stretched. Pops rippled down his back. His mind drifted to Jennie’s avoidance of certain questions last night. He’d intended to visit Emily Hanover today, but the late-night call-in had thrown off his plan.
“Something about Jennie Nielson’s story isn’t sitting right with me. I’m taking a break and am heading over to chat with Mrs. Hanover. See if she has any information we can use.”
With his eyes focused on the laptop screen, Brandon waved. “Cookies would be nice if you can finagle a box.”
David laughed. “I’ll see what I can do.” Ambling from the conference room, he stepped outside and squinted at the bright June sun. He slipped on his sunglasses and soaked in the warmth before sliding into the driver’s seat and pulling away from the station.
Several minutes later, David sauntered up the rosebush-lined sidewalk to Emily Hanover’s craftsman-style home in downtown Pinewood Shores.
Known by the town for her beautiful flower gardens, the older woman loved to share her oasis.
She’d created a sitting area in her front yard for public use.
Residents stopped by on a daily basis and rested or ate lunch on the wooden benches next to the Koi Pond and three-tiered fountain.
Rumor had it that years after she’d welcomed the good people of the sleepy town to her peaceful retreat, she’d confided in friends that the idea had helped combat the loneliness of losing her husband.
David reflected on his own loss. He understood the desire to fill the emptiness with company. Throwing himself into work and the Wednesday night pick-up basketball games at the local gym with the guys had brought him through his darkest days.
He’d moved to Pinewood Shores and joined the ICAC team three years ago. The members had become family. As draining as the work could be, he relished the successes.
People often asked him why he’d transferred to such a depressing department. What those around him didn’t understand, saving children from the clutches of those who wanted to exploit them, gave him a satisfaction homicide never had.
His mind wandered to the determined little girl he’d met yesterday. What would have happened if he hadn’t given Zoey his business card?
Standing at the entrance of Miss Emily’s house, he pushed the doorbell. Church-like chimes rang in the background.
The ornate oak door creaked open, and a sixty-something lady with gray streaks in her brown hair greeted him.
“Detective Whitman, it’s good to see you. Come on in.” She motioned to the living room.